Marvel superheroes assemble for epic class photo

Marvel Studios brought together 80 of its stars and filmmakers for a picture in honour of its 10^th anniversary.

On October 7 last year, the group gathered in secret on the Atlanta set of Avengers: Infinity War for the photo to celebrate the last decade of the Marvel Comics Universe. The photo has been released only now.

The star-studded list of superhero talent included Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pratt, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Holland, Sean Gunn, Hannah John-Kamen, Zoe Saldana, Angela Bassett, Jon Favreau and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Other stars who are a part of the image include Kurt Russell, Danai Gurira, William Hurt, Karen Gillan, Emily VanCamp, Tessa Thompson, Don Cheadle, Dave Bautista, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, Evangeline Lilly, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Frank Grillo, Letitia Wright, Laurence Fishburne, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Stan, Ty Simpkins, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Benedict Wong, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L Jackson and Jeff Goldblum.

Some of those who worked behind the camera to create the Marvel films were also featured. These include Stan Lee, James Gunn and Ryan Coogler.

In a clip released by Disney showing the behind-the-scenes of the photo shoot, Thor actor Hemsworth said: "It felt like being at the Academy Awards or something. Every person had been in one or all of my favourite films."

"There's a ton of fan-boying and fan-girling going on in that room with each other," added Cheadle, who has played War Machine in a number of Marvel films.

Iron Man star Downey Jr, who features prominently in the class photo, said: "I literally am dead-centre in the front row and I'm looking around going, ‘Any one of these people could be dead-centre'."

The photograph starts Marvel's 10-Year Sweepstakes, which will take place across social media and last from February 8 to March 15. A winner will be selected each week to receive an "Ultimate Marvel Fan Prize" package, which includes a visit to the Captain Marvel set and a tour of Marvel Studios.

Marvel's latest film Black Panther will have its worldwide release on February 16, but the studio's 10^th anniversary will officially begin with the release of Avengers: Infinity War.